PUTRAJAYA: The ‘hands-on’ teaching method contained in the Guided Module Programme (MOBIM) of the Ministry of Education (MoE) allows teachers to teach interactively, thus exposing First Year students to more practical concepts.
The programme was introduced in March this year to all schools, initially for Year One students. It will be gradually extended to Year Two and beyond until it is fully implemented.
The module, which took between four to five months to develop, took into account the current needs and requirements of the students, including guidance and teaching and learning (PdP) recommendations that can be adapted to the student’s level of acceptance and locality.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Development Division (BPK), in a recent interview, said the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) during the Covid-19 pandemic showed some of the constraints faced by teachers, students and even parents to follow the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) method.
“When parents attend PdPR sessions with their children, we receive feedback that the content of the subject is ‘heavy’ and difficult to follow.
“So, as a short-term measure, the Education Ministry introduced MOBIM, which is support material that is produced based on the content of the Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document (DSKP) and the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) (Revision 2017),” he said.
Since MOBIM was implemented, he said the feedback received from teachers was very positive and encouraging, with some saying it made it easier for teachers to carry out PdP in the classroom.
Other subject teachers who are substitute teachers can also use MOBIM easily, he said, adding that MOBIM focuses on four subjects namely Malay Language (BM), English Language (BI), Mathematics and Science for Year One students.
MOBIM for Science and Mathematics is also provided in the English version for use by schools implementing the ‘Dual Language Programme’ (DLP), in Chinese for Chinese National Schools (SJKC) and in Tamil for Tamil National Schools (SJKT).
Among the teaching methods highlighted through MOBIM are ‘Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract’ (CPA) for Mathematics; Visual, Audio, Kinesthetic (VAK) for BM and BI, while the concept of exploration and fun education is used for Science subjects.
He said the CPA and VAK methods are not new as the methods were learned by the teachers during their studies.
“So MOBIM refreshes what they had learned before, in addition to generating new ideas for teachers to create a fun learning atmosphere.
“For example, calculation exercises are carried out with objects that are easily available, like a pen, and simple science experiments are carried out using paper inserted in a container filled with water to teach the topic on absorption,” he said.
He said the MoE is also developing a similar module for Year Two and Year Three students which is expected to be used in March 2024, while for Level Two students, which contains the additional subject of Design and Technology (RBT), it will be used beginning April last year.
He said MOBIM will also be updated from time to time and used as input for the 2027 school curriculum.
The MOBIM content can be obtained through https://repositori.bpk.moe-dl.edu.my/ or the BPK YouTube at https://youtube.com/@bahagianpembangunankurikulum?feature=shared. – BERNAMA
